Mornings are stressful. It's difficult to ease out of an eight-hour stretch of sleep in a warm bed into a jam-packed day of work, errands and more. Add kids to the mix and you've really got your hands full, because not only do you need to get yourself fed and dressed, you also have little people who need help with just about everything.
The key is to start planning the night before. Here, we've got four tips that are guaranteed to let you hit that snooze button just one more time in the morning.
1. Plan your outfit the night before and have it laid out. That way, there's no fretting about what to wear in the morning, and if something is wrinkled or stained, you can deal with it the night before. (Tip: Purchase a mini-steamer. They are quick and easy to use, and no need for a clunky ironing board.)
2. Pack your purse and lunch the night before. Your bag should be ready to go, and placed by the front door so you can grab it and go. Headed to the gym? Have your gym bag ready, too. Keys, wallet and all essentials should live in your purse -- there's no time for running around in the morning looking for misplaced subway passes.
3. Lay out your beauty products and prescriptions the night before. Who wants to rummage through makeup drawers and medicine cabinets in the morning? Lay out your essential products and medicines so they are ready to use.
4. Find a beauty shortcut. We love eyeshadow sticks that take the hassle out of applying eye makeup. Just two swipes and your shadow is done. Our beauty editor Dana Oliver had this to say on these easy-to-apply tools: "They even combine your brow bone highlighter and eyelid color in one product so there's no need to be dumpster diving in your makeup bag for different palettes in the morning."
Want more tips on how to save time in the morning? Check out the video below for some beauty shortcuts.